Undocumented Zimbabweans living in Botswana will have their stay regularised soon, with President Duma Boko citing Zimbabwe’s skilled human resources as an asset Botswana can tap into.
Plans are already underway to establish details of
Zimbabweans living in Botswana with at least 150 000 locals believed to be
living in the country.
In an interview yesterday, Ambassador to Botswana Henry
Mukonoweshuro said Zimbabwe welcomed Botswana’s commitment to registering
undocumented Zimbabweans living in the country.
“We welcome the pronouncements by the new President
Advocate Duma Boko, that his idea is to actually have a number of undocumented
Zimbabweans being documented and regularised because it is better to have
regularised people whom you can trace and trust and also who can actually now
seek jobs.
“Because there is an acknowledgement by our hosts that our
people are well-trained, well skilled and they have commitment, so this is a
really positive trajectory that we welcome and we are willing to work with the
authorities to ensure that we have some sort of special dispensation akin to
the one that was given to our country in 2009 in South Africa. We are working
out a similar format,” he said.
Ambassador Mukonoweshuro said he was set to meet Botswana’s
Minister of Immigration to action the pronouncement by President Boko.
“I am yet to meet the new Minister of Immigration and Human
Rights as well as the Permanent Secretary in that office to try and actualise
the words by the President,” he said.
Turning to consular services at the Zimbabwean Embassy in
Gaborone, the Ambassador said they were serving a considerable number of
Zimbabweans daily.
They will be coming for passport renewals, new passports,
specific letters pertaining to permit renewals, and birth certificates among
other services.
“On a good day especially towards holidays we serve upwards
of 100 people a day, sometimes 150 especially when school children are on
holiday.
“They are coming for different things like passport
renewals, new passports, birth certificate applications and assistance for
those that have deceased and those who want to extend their permits. Sometimes
its a requirement that the embassy writes papers to authenticate documents,” he
said.
Ambassador Mukonoweshuro said the Embassy was also in the
process of compiling a list of Zimbabweans living in Botswana.
In a separate interview, Dr Brighton Hurombo, a Zimbabwean
lecturing at the University of Botswana, said he was happy with consular
services at the embassy.
“I am very happy with the services and quality of service
being offered here. Today I had come to the Embassy to inquire about my
driver’s licence and I was very much assisted. Now I will be travelling to
Harare for the holidays with no problems,” he said. Herald
0 comments:
Post a Comment